


your warmth, the best medicine

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Other, Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting, and Lots of hair petting, and unnecessary backstory, it's not too graphic but ut's there, jaemin and jeno take care of their baby Renjun, stummy rubs, uwu they're just soft loving bfs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 10:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18715396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: renjun gets sick, but his boyfriends take care of him.





	your warmth, the best medicine

**Author's Note:**

> the following work was inspired by a Tumblr prompt by sickficideas
> 
> character A is sleeping off a low-grade fever in character B’s room, and B is in the kitchen talking to character C. A wanders out into the kitchen after a while, looking exhausted. B asks how they’re feeling, and then out of nowhere, A vomits into the kitchen sink.
> 
> both the norenmin and the sickfic tags have been dry lately smfh guess I'll have to do all the work MYSELF

Jeno wakes up from his nap to a high pitched 'ding!' from his phone. Renjun and Jaemin always make fun of him for it ("Who actually has their phone on sound mode? Only my mom does that.") but Jeno likes knowing when exactly someone needs him, and right this moment, he is very glad he does, because it was a text from Sicheng. He never got texts from Sicheng. 

'hey jen! I just dropped renjun off at your apartment, he looked pretty upset but wouldn't tell me what's wrong ? just thought u should know' 

Jeno raised an eyebrow. That was pretty unusual. First because it was Friday, and Renjun had classes until six on Friday, and it was barely five. Their apartment was pretty far away from University, so for Renjun to be home so early they should have left at least half an hour early. Second, because usually Renjun told Sicheng everything, so it must have been something bad if he didn't want to share it with his favorite older brother. 

Jeno sent him a quick thank you message and promised to tell him when he found out what exactly was bothering Renjun. Furrowing his brow, Jeno sat up on the bed, exactly when he heard the front door open. 

He quickly slipped out of bed, leaving his phone on the bedside table and hurrying down the stairs as quietly as possible. When he reached the entrance, Jeno's heart clenched at the sight. Renjun stood at the doorway, pale and slightly put of breath, with a pout and a slight furrow of his brow that could only mean tears. 

"Hey, Junnie," Jeno said quietly, trying for a soft smile in hopes of getting Renjun to feel comfortable, not like he was being ambushed, so he would be able to calm down slightly. "Why are you home so early?" 

Renjun reacted differently every time he was upset, depending on the gravity of the situation. He tended to spill the things that upset him the most faster, simply because he couldn't hold back his angry or sad tears. However, things that he deemed small or stupid to be upset over, would be harder to get out of him. Jeno and Jaemin had worked hard trying to get him out of that habit, because holding it in could only make it worse in the long run, and they had made a lot of progress, but they still had to slightly coax things out of him.

Jeno was expecting some reluctance from Renjun, given his refusal to tell Sicheng what was wrong, and maybe him being a little cutting given how upset he looked. Jeno wouldn't blame him, he knew how hard it was to deal with your problems, he would just be ready to fight whoever had made his precious boyfriend so upset. 

However, what he didn't expect, was for Renjun to barrel straight into his arms with a small sniffle. Jeno lost his balance slightly, but thankfully Renjun was smaller and lighter than him, and he managed to get it back quickly. God knows how many bruises he would have if it had been Jaemin. 

Jeno brought a hand up to run through Renjun's hair just the way he liked, and was about to ask what was wrong, when he felt it. It wasn't much, but there was an unnatural heat radiating from Renjun's forehead. Jeno frowned and proceeded to touch his neck and cheeks (with the most adorable whine emitting from the man in his arms at the lack of hair petting) just to confirm his suspicions. As expected, Renjun was slightly warmer than usual all over. 

Again, Jeno's heart clenched painfully in his chest. While it may not seem like much, it was probably just a low grade fever, sickness hit Renjun really hard. Jeno and Jaemin liked to joke that it was because he was so small (which he wasn't, "you and Jaemin are just really tall!"), but in reality it was probably because he never really got sick. Jeamin didn't either, and Jeno and Renjun still couldn't figure how he could handle sickness so well, seen as neither of them could. Apart from the occasional sniffle here and there, he never really got colds or the flu like Jeno did yearly. They were all pretty healthy, but somehow Jeno always got the short end of the stick when it came to seasonal illness, while Jaemin and Renjun got away sickness free.

"You're not feeling well, baby?" Jeno asked softly, retracting his hand from Renjun's cheek to finally give in to the demand of hair petting. 

Renjun shook his head from where it was nestled against Jeno's collarbone, rubbing his face against his sweater. It was the most adorable thing Jeno had ever seen. When he spoke, Renjun's voice was small and airy, as if it was a strain just to speak. "Feel horrible. I didn't want to skip class, but I couldn't concentrate." 

Towards the end of the sentence, Renjun's voice got watery with unshed tears, and finally Jeno understood the whole extent of the problem. Renjun hated missing class, and coupled with the vulnerability that came with being sick, he was probably feeling terrible about skipping his last lectures. 

Jeno rubbed his back and kissed his temple. "Don't be too upset over that, baby. You must feel so bad, it would have been terrible to finish your day like this, I'm so glad you came home instead. I'll help you ask someone else for their notes later, but for now let's focus on making you feel better, yeah?"

Renjun nodded meekly into his collarbone and Jeno all but melted. He gently guided Renjun into the bathroom upstairs, taking the steps slowly. He left Renjun with the thermometer in his mouth (just to be sure) while he left to find him a change of clothes. He found one of his sweatpants and Jaemin's shirt, because he knew it was Renjun's favorite combination. 

When he returned to the bathroom Renjun was sitting on top of the toilet, with his head leaning against the counter and his hands tucked between his legs. The thermometer beeped, startling Renjun from what Jeno could only assume was a state of half-consciousness. It was the cutest sight.

He took the thermometer gently, and confirmed it was barely a fever, though his poor boyfriend seemed to really be suffering it. Jeno didn't think his heart was going to unclench any time soon. 

He rummaged the cabinets for a fever reducer while he poured some tap water into a glass he found lying on the bathroom counter, which was probably Jaemin's. He helped Renjun take his medicine, seen as he would barely keep his eyes open after his emotional moment at the door, and helped him change into his boyfriends' clothes. 

Slowly, just like when they went up the stairs, Jeno guided Renjun into his own bedroom, just because it was the closest, and his sheets were probably still warm from his nap. They all shared a bed more often than not, anyway. Jeno honestly couldn't remember the last time that he slept alone (excluding the occasional nap). 

He tucked Renjun in, mindful of where he knew his boyfriend was probably hurting. For some reason, sickness always made his thighs and shoulders ache. 

Jeno couldn't help the overwhelming wave of love and affection he felt as soon as he saw Renjun all tucked in, surrounded by blankets and with a small frown on his still pale face. He wanted nothing more than to take all of his pain away, but he settled for smoothing his frown with his fingers, talking softly and running his hands through Renjun's hair because he knew it helped him fall asleep. 

Renjun whispered the softest 'I love you' right before drifting off, and Jeno swore his heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times they told each other that, it wouldn't cease to be just as special as the first. He whispered it back and kept to his ministrations for a while longer, just to be sure, and then slowly retracted from his room, phone in hand, once he was sure Renjun wouldn't wake up again. 

He settled on the kitchen counter, idly scrolling through his phone after he texted Sicheng about the situation, while he waited for Jaemin to come home. He didn't see any point in telling him yet. He usually came home with Renjun on Friday, because their classes ended at the same time. However, he had a meeting with the football team and would be held up in school for an extra hour, maybe, and Jeno didn't see any usefulness in worrying him when he couldn't come home right away.

So, he entertained himself with social media, texting Donghyuk, whose replies were very sporadic since he was probably with his "not really" boyfriend Mark, though he wouldn't admit it (but Jeno decided to forgive him on account of all the get better soon hearts he sent Renjun) and watching videos on YouTube. He could have tried cooking some simple broth for Renjun, since being sick on an empty stomach, even if Renjun's was pretty sensitive and tenses to get upset, couldn't be very comfortable, but he decided to wait for Jaemin before getting started on that. He didn't have a great history in the kitchen.

At around 7:30, finally, Jeno could hear the front door open. Jaemin must have taken a hint that something was wrong from how quiet and dark the house was, because he didn't do any of his obnoxious shouting as soon as he crossed the threshold. 

Jeno went out to meet him in the living room, and despite the visible concern on his features, his eyes still lit up at the sight of one of his boyfriend. Jeno quickly went to give him a peck on the lips, wrapping his arms around Jaemin's neck. Jaemin rested his hands on Jeno's back slightly deepening the kiss before pulling away. Tease. 

However, he pressed their noses together and Jeno figured he could be forgiven. "Hey, Jen. What's up?" 

Jeno could hear the concern in his voice, and had to resist the urge to kiss him again. Both his boyfriends were so loving and caring, towards each other and towards him, always worried about each other and their well-being. He couldn't love them more. 

Despite his shock of affection, Jeno felt his worries come back to him as he explained the situation. "Renjun came home pretty early, he got a ride from Sicheng hyung. He was really upset about missing class, but he had a fever," Jeno explained with a frown. "It wasn't too high, but you know how hard it hits him. He's been sleeping since then, I'm surprised that it's been such a long time, but I figured it was better to just let him." 

Jaemin nodded all through Jeno's explanation, something seeming to click inside his brain as soon as Jeno finished. "Figures. He didn't want to eat much this morning, but I thought he was just nervous for his chemistry test. Did you give him any medicine?" 

Jeno nodded. "Yeah, I gave him some fever reducers. I was waiting for you to make some broth, though." 

Despite everything, Jaemin smiled and gave Jeno the other kiss he so desperately wanted just a few minutes ago. "Look at you, you're already an expert nurse."

Jeno blushed without replying and held Jaemin's hand instead, leading him to the kitchen. It was true, Jeno was really bad at taking care of sick people, mostly because the sick one was always him. But, with time, he had learnt a lot from his boyfriends and their caretaking skills. He wouldn't call himself an expert like Jaemin had put it, probably just decent, but he keened under the praise anyway. 

As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, Jeno set about gathering the ingredients for the broth while Jaemin set up all the utensils he needed. It was a familiar routine, because as bad as Jeno was at making anything other then scrambled eggs and cup noodles, he liked being with his other two much better cook boyfriends in the kitchen, and helping out in every way he could. 

Jaemin and Jeno talked quietly about their day as they cut up very few vegetables, they wanted to make it as simple and light as possible for Renjun, when they heard a loud crash from the top of the stairs. 

They turned to look at each other, brows creased in concern, before Jaemin got up from his seat and peaked up from the bottom of the stairs. "Injunnie?" 

There was a muffles groan from upstairs and after a few moments, Renjun finally appeared and practically threw himself into Jaemin's awaiting arms. 

 

He looked bleary, with an adorable bedhead, though he still looked pretty pale and worn out. He huddled close to Jaemin as they entered the kitchen together, and Jeno smiled when he saw the latter subtly checking his other boyfriend's temperature. 

Jeno hopped out of his seat and walked over to them as well. He rubbed Renjun's back as they stood in silence for a few seconds before asking, "Feeling any better, baby?"

Renjun took a deep breath like he was about to say something, then he pushed both boyfriends away and rushed towards the kitchen sink. With a painful sounding gag, he emptied the contents of his stomach. It wasn't much, and it was over pretty quickly. Jeno would bet anything that he hadn't eaten at all after the little breakfast he had, but he wasn't really mad. More worried than anything. 

Both him and Jaemin stood slightly shocked for a moment before Jeno saw Renjun's knees buckle. He practically lunged himself towards his boyfriend, steadying him. From the corner of his eye he could see Jaemin fumbling for some paper towels. 

Jeno turned on the tap to wash it all away (thankfully they didn't have my dirty dishes yet) just as Renjun began to apologise. A few tears began to make their way down his cheek as he whispered: "Sorry. 'M sorry." 

Jeno began to rub his back as Jaemin shushed him, wiping his mouth and face with the paper towels. "Baby, it's fine. Don't apologize, please, you're sick and you can't help it. We don't blame you for anything." 

Jeno nodded. For fear of making Renjun's emotional situation worse, he omitted asking if he was feeling better now, though he could see some color returning to Renjun's cheeks. Instead, he asked: "Wanna go lay down on the couch?" 

Renjun nodded meekly, and while Jaemin finished cleaning out the kitchen and putting most of the ingredients for broth away (it wasn't going to get made any time soon), Jeno helped Renjun walk slowly towards the living room. Renjun practically deflated as soon as Jeno helped him sit down, letting go of a lot of accumulated tension in his body. Jeno almost wanted to cry for his baby. 

He leaned his head against Jeno's shoulder, shifting occasionally in what Jeno could only assume was discomfort. They stayed like that for a while, Jeno trying to move as little as possible so his boyfriend could get comfortable. Just when Jaemin was walking into the living room, Renjun let out a small whimper and shifted again, pressing his two tiny fists against his abdomen. 

"It's so painful," he whispered, scrunching his whole face, and Jeno could see his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Jeno could only imagine it, he had a pretty strong stomach. However, Renjun's was pretty tender and he always complained about stomachaches, which always seemed to get more intense whenever he got sick. He rarely ever threw up, though, so this one must have been especially intense. 

Jaemin sat at the other end of the couch, legs outstretched, and gently pulled Renjun down so he could lay against his chest. "Aw, baby, I'm so sorry. You want a tummy rub?"

Renjun nodded, face still scrunched up in pain, and Jeno didn't need to be told twice. While Jaemin was the better caretaker, Renjun always complained that his tummy rubs weren't as good as Jeno's. So, without wasting a second, Jeno laid next to Renjun and set to work undoing the knots in his stomach.

Renjun kept squirming slightly every time his stomach cramped, but Jeno couldn't blame him. Beneath his hand, Jeno could feel how tightly his poor boyfriend's stomach was clenching around practically nothing. At some point, Jaemin had begun to pet Renjun's hair just the way he liked it, and their smallest boyfriend was finally beginning to relax under their loving touch. 

After a while, Renjun was finally beginning to fall asleep under their ministrations, until a particularly painful cramp took over his abdomen. He gasped and sat up suddenly, curling over his stomach. Jeno and Jaemin looked at each other in alarm, and Jeno momentarily took to rubbing his thigh instead of his stomach. 

After it passed, Renjun was breathing heavily, and for a moment Jeno worried that the nausea had become too much for him again, but his eyes were a little more clear. Jeno figured that the worst of it had already passed, but Renjun placed his hand over his own stomach again, and Jeno wouldn't deny his boyfriend anything, especially if it made him feel better. 

"All good?"Jaemin whispered, his hands taking over Renjun's hair once again. The oldest gave a small nod, shutting his eyes once again. Thankfully, his expression wasn't as pain ridden any more. 

"Yeah," he whispered. "Sorry about that."

Jaemin tutted while Jeno shook his head. "What did Jaemin tell you about apologizing, baby? You're not doing anything wrong, we're just worried because we want you to feel better."

Renjun snuggled closer to Jaemin and took Jeno's free hand with his own, a small smile grazing his lips. "It's okay, just being with you is already making me better."

Jaemin and Jeno shared a look of surprise over Renjun's head. He was not one to say things as cheesy as that, but Jeno figured he was too tired and unwell to mask his gratefulness with his usual playful snarkiness. Either way, it made blood rush to Jeno's ears and his heart pound in a way he could only call love. He carefully kissed his temple before exchanging a longer kiss with Jaemin, finally settling back into his earlier position, close to both his boyfriends as they slowly drifted into light sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> if u liked this pls leave comments and kudos thanks


End file.
